In
a 5-quart saucepan or soup pot, combine the chicken wings, necks,
backs, hearts and gizzards with the water or stock and water. Bring
to a boil over high heat, skimming off all the foam and scum as
they rise to the surface. Add the carrots, celery, parsnip, onion
with the cloves, and a few grindings of pepper. Reduce the heat
to low, partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover the chopped mushrooms with ½
c boiling water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Then add them
with their soaking liquid to the soup and pour in the barley. Stirring
occasionally, simmer half covered for 1 hour, or until the barley,
giblets and mushrooms are tender. Remove the wings, necks and backs
from the soup with a slotted spoon. Skin them and pick the meat
from the bones. Chop the meat coarsely and add it to the simmering
soup. Discard the onion. Taste for seasoning and stir in the parsley.
Serve from a heated tureen or a large serving bowl. Serves 4 to
6.

With
a small, sharp knife, peel the cucumber and slice it lengthwise
into halves. Scoop out the seeds by running the tip of a teaspoon
down the center of each half. Cut the cucumber into ¼-inch
dice and set aside. In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, bring the
potatoes and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to
moderate, add the salt and pepper and cook uncovered until the
potatoes are soft and can easily be mashed against the sides of
the pan; then pour them and all the cooking liquid into a sieve
set over a mixing bowl. With a large spoon force the potatoes
through the sieve. (If you prefer, purée the potatoes in
a food mill. But don't use a blender; it will make the mixture
too smooth.) However you have puréed the potatoes, return
them and their liquid to the saucepan and stir in the cream, milk,
grated onion and cucumbers. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes,
or until the cucumber is tender but still somewhat firm. Add the
dill and taste for seasoning. Serve hot either from a heated tureen
or in individual soup bowls. Serves 6.